DRINKWINE: Rainy-day wisdom can sometimes be the best

I donít know why exactly, but for the past couple of days, Iíve been thinking about rain. I like rain; I like the way it feels, the way it smells, the way it looks and I like the fact it makes things new.

There was a time Ė in my youth Ė when I considered rain an inconvenience because it usually made me slow down or alter what I was doing. Iím not sure why, I suppose I just didnít want to get wet. Now, itís an aphrodisiac; I can almost feel myself renew as drops of water drip from the brim of my hat, especially when Iím standing in a river.

Last August, while fishing one of the most gorgeous stretches of the Jordan, dark clouds gathered, the wind came up and long before I noticed, it began to rain. I was casting small Blue Winged Olives to a bubble line where I had seen several surface disruptions when it dawned on me it was raining. So what; half of me is standing in water, what difference does it make if the rest of me gets wet, I thought? The fish were OK with it; in fact, the fishing was so good, had I had my creel I would have kept a few for breakfast. (There is nothing better than brookies fried in bacon grease with eggs.)

Itís different in the city than in the country. Up North, rain is an event; it has purpose and is wanted and not considered an inconvenience. Everything we expect ďUp NorthĒ to be is better with rainÖ.and so are the rivers and lakes.

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As I count down the days to when steelhead runs begin in earnest, it will be just a few more days before trout season opens. Rain is the tease as it removes remaining snow and opens the door to another year of matching wits with weary trout. To that end, Piscators spent winter months searching through no shortage of new information in an attempt to gain advantage on those dotted and rainbow stripped inhabitants that can rob a grown man of his pride and make him act like a puppy chasing his tail.

This year my attempt at self-improvement comes in the form of a hook. The Klinkhammer pattern has been around for several years and has become popular. The pattern itself isnít whatís interesting, itís the hook that peeked my interest and opened my mind to the possibility of all sorts of patterns and presentations. The hook is angled and causes whatever pattern is tied on to ride at an angle as though it was rising. Iím tying it in an emerger pattern, a nymph, a wet and a dry with a post and parachute. I think an emerger with CDC wings tied short could be the ticket. Stay tuned.

I have received several inquiries from people wanting to know where they can go to learn the basics about fly fishing. There are several places to go: One is the Public School put on by the Michigan Fly Fishing Club in April. It is a one day, all day, class that covers the basic ďhow toĒ that include casting, rigging, fly tying, entomology and how to read a stream. You can sign up at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo this weekend at Macomb Community College or by going to their website, www.mffc.org.

This class is a full day of instruction and includes lunch; it is hands on taught by seasoned instructors.

Beginning the end of April, Orvis in Royal Oak will offer Fly Fishing 101 classes. These are two hours of casting and rigging with all material supplied. Reservations must be made by signing up at the store.

In addition, most Trout Unlimited Chapters offer various degrees of instruction and can be contacted on line at: www.michigantu.org then clicking on local chapters. Most chapters in Southeast Michigan will have booths at the Expo.

If you still need more incentive to get geeked about the upcoming season, there are several Trout Unlimited Chapter banquets in the works over the next couple of months: Clinton Valley Trout Unlimited is having their banquet March 23 at the River Crest located at 900 W. Avon Rd. Rochester Hills. For more information check out their website: www.clintonvalleytu.com. Also, Paul H. Young Chapter of TU is holding their banquet at the San Marino Club in Troy on April 18. For more information see their website: www.paulyoungtu.org.

If Harry Truman wasnít talking about fly fishing when he said, ďitís what you learn after you know it all that counts.Ē He should have been.

Terry Drinkwine writes an outdoors column for Journal Register Newspapers. Contact him at terrydrinkwineoutdoors@yahoo.com and check out the website at: www.terrydrinkwineoutdoors.com.